Employers have the upper hand

Feb 27, 2019 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The bauxite workers at Rusal were dismissed because their employers had the upper hand. The laws of Guyana allow for persons to be terminated. And this is exactly what the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. did.
Yet despite this, the media continue to carry reports that the bauxite company was in breach of Guyana’s labour laws. But they are not stating just which laws were breached. The labour laws provide for persons to be terminated for just cause or with notice.
These laws give employers the upper hand when it comes to firing and when it comes to hiring also. But it must also be recognized that employers are also faced with challenges in filling vacancies.
Last November, the University of Guyana, graduated another large batch of students. Last July, thousands of school leavers joined the ranks of job-seekers. Most of these university and school graduates are still hunting for jobs.
But the problem is not just the lack of jobs; it is also the lack of what the employers are looking for.
About ten years ago, a manager of a city business wrote a letter to the media in which he explained his difficulty in finding suitable staff to fill a vacancy in his firm. His problem was not a shortage of certified workers.
There were numerous applicants, most of whom had a number of subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Yet, the employer complained that most of them did not make the grade, despite having more than the academic requirements for the job.
Certificates do not necessarily translate to marketability. In fact, many employers shy away from highly qualified persons. One of the foremost reasons for this is the fear that the high-flyers are going to eventually fly away, either to another company or to greener pastures overseas.
How can the employer be sure that the person, if employed, is going to stay for an extended period to justify the training and other investments that the employer has to make in this employee?
Employment comes at a cost to the employer. The employer has to invest in training and provide benefits to the employee. In return, the employer wants a guarantee that the person is not going to eventually move on and thus force the employer to have to look for a replacement.
This, in part, explains the reluctance of some employers to employ persons who have done exceptionally well. The employers may not wish to risk employing that person, because they know that the person will attract other offers.
Migration is a problem. Close to half of the workforce in Guyana either have sponsorship papers being processed or hope someday to migrate.
Employers also are not always necessarily looking for the brightest and the smartest. They are looking for the most effective. If you examine, for example, the staff of the Trump Organization, you would be surprised that many of the top people are not necessarily the brightest and most qualified. But they have proven their worth to their employers through getting the job done.
Not all employers are looking for persons with drive, initiative, ambition and special problem-solving abilities. They prefer simpler skills such as following orders, sticking to protocols, numeracy and literacy.
They also value experience. Experience is also an unmistakable quality in demand and makes a big difference in performance. The problem, of course is, how is anyone new to the job market ever going to obtain experience if he or she is not finding a job.
So, the next time you hear about persons complaining about not being able to get a job, you should ask them how many interviews they had and the outcome of these interviews. This may allow you to decide whether their problem is the lack of opportunities or simply the lack of the right mix of skills.
Employers may have the upper hand in employment and dismissals but it is not easy finding the right persons for the jobs.

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